In an era where the cost of living is constantly on the rise, ensuring a secure employment is of the utmost relevance.
However, there are con artists who are targeting job seekers in order to make quick cash. Wishing to remain anonymous, a Newcastillian claims how she was nearly scammed out of R3 000.
“I went online to find work in the administration field. I went onto the website of what seemed to be a reputable company, saw vacancies and sent in my C.V. Within a few hours I was contacted, and I was told to come in for an appointment.”
However, upon arriving at the business premises, she quickly grew suspicious. “I decided to go in 30 minutes earlier than my appointment. I went to the reception area and told the receptionist why I was there and who I needed to see.”
The person in question did not work at the company. But, while talking to the receptionist, her phone rang. “It was a woman claiming to work with the person who initially called me. She asked me to go outside as she didn’t want anyone to overhear our discussion.”
It was then that things took a turn for the worst. The caller requested that the job seeker pay R3 000 to secure employment. “I asked if this was some form of bribe, and she said no. She added that if I didn’t have the cash, I could pay R1 500 now and the remainder at the end of the month.”
As much as she needed the work, the job hunter refused to pay and put the phone down. Shortly afterwards, she was contacted by two more people, both urging her to meet them elsewhere and that she pay the cash.
“I told them that if they did not leave me alone, I would contact the police as they were harassing me.”
Since then, no more contact was made. However, she is warning people to be cautious when seeking employment. “The one guy told me there were 20 people who were willing to pay for the job. They are scamming desperate people.”
Newcastle SAPS Communication Liaison and Marketing spokesperson, Lizzy Arumugam emphasised that people should practice extreme caution when it comes to work. “No company or business requests money to secure employment.”
In an awareness statement, Arumugam explained how fraud artists often used technology to defraud people. These phishing and fraud scams are done in a way that websites, emails and text messages are done up in such a way, that they look legitimate.
Emails and text messages are the most commonly used methods to lure people in. “Typically, these emails or cellphone messages request users click on a link. This link will direct users to a spoofed website, a site which is designed to fool users into thinking it is legitimate.”
When applying for work via websites, Arumugam urges job seekers to contact the relevant offices before sending out their CVs. By doing this, you can ensure your personal information is not being sent to a scam artist.
Furthermore, people are urged to not submit their banking details to strangers or pay for any form of employment.
People are also encouraged to report online fraud to the police and to the companies to which it is linked.
